Business Torts; Catastrophic Personal Injury; Wrongful Death; Professional Negligence

Don received his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1978 and his J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 1984. Since joining the firm in 1984, Don has concentrated his civil litigation practice in the areas of business torts, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death and professional negligence, with a focus on business cases involving unfair and deceptive trade practices and commercial fraud.

Don has litigated business tort cases in the state and federal courts in North Carolina and South Carolina; federal court in Florida and Maryland and state court in Arizona. Don has served on Plaintiffs' Executive Committees in Federal Multi-District litigation, representing both individual and class action plaintiffs in business tort cases. Don has obtained substantial verdicts and settlements against corporate defendants including Honda, Southeastern Toyota, Snap-On Tools Corporation, South Carolina National Bank and Champion Products, Inc. In 2003, based on a survey of members of the North Carolina Bar Association in business related specialties, Business North Carolina selected Don as a member of its North Carolina Legal Elite in the field of litigation. Don has also successfully represented clients in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases in state and federal courts in North Carolina. He and partner Don Beskind obtained the largest Federal Tort Claim verdict in North Carolina against the United States Government.

Don has an AV rating in Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating available, and is listed in the Best Lawyers in America. Don serves on the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers and is a President's Club member of the American Trial Lawyers Association. Don is an active member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He is a frequent speaker and writer for continuing legal education seminars in the area of litigation.